FTMAD: Adaptations Across Stage and Screen

Module code: FTMAD

Module provider: Film, Theatre and TV; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Matt McFrederick, email: m.mcfrederick@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 18 July 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to develop students’ knowledge and artistic practice in film, television, and theatre through an exploration of processes of adaptation and an engagement with critical, cultural, and political considerations which surround this practice.

Further, it aims to expand students’ understanding of adaptation to encompass a broad range of practices, potentially including from page to stage/screen; citation of iconic characters; fanfiction and digital reworkings; docudramas and documentary theatre; intercultural retellings and translations; contemporary retellings of historical narratives; and significant reworkings of productions in the same media.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Evidence an independent critical, artistic, and technical understanding to undertake practical experiments in adaptation
2. Relate practical decisions in creative practice to theoretical, critical and cultural ideas explored over the degree and in this module
3. Analyse and engage with central discussions around adaptation as an artistic, cultural, and political practice in film, theatre, and television
4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of adaptation within its wider industrial, technological, cultural and political contexts
5. Develop skills and competencies which are central to the course, including: oral communication and argument in group situations; production/creative work: practical planning and time management; deployment of research using printed and electronic resources; critical analysis and coherent argument; undertaking self-directed, independent work.

Module content

Students taking this module will explore multidisciplinary practices and approaches to adaption, specialising in film, theatre or television. Through a series of workshops and critical study, you will interrogate processes of retelling, citation, relocating in space and time, digital revisions, and translation (across language and form) to explore what constitutes adaptation in stage and screen practices. The module focus on a selection of case studies or approaches to adaptation to explore how we might work with this idea in practice. In your practice, you will undertake a  creative experiment in the discipline of your choice that address different models and theories of adaptation.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The primary teaching methods will be practice-focused interactive workshops and seminar-based discussions centred around prepared reading of practical approaches, creative materials, and critical debates. This module will offer you an opportunity to undertake a series of explorations of the process of adaptation as a creative practice. Additional short lectures may be used where appropriate to introduce critical issues, screenings will be offered to support students’ engagement with material, and independent rehearsal time will be a key part of this module to enable student-led experimentation.

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs